All new and original to this volume, the 21 stories in Dangerous Women include work by 12 New York Times best sellers, and seven stories set in the authors’ best-selling continuities - including a new "Outlander" story by Diana Gabaldon, a tale of Harry Dresden’s world by Jim Butcher, a story from Lev Grossman set in the world of The Magicians, and a 35,000-word novella by George R. R. Martin about the Dance of the Dragons, the vast civil war that tore Westeros apart nearly two centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones.

Curse on the Land: Soulwood, Book 2

Before Nell Ingram met skinwalker Jane Yellowrock, she had no one to rely on, finding strength only in her arcane connection to the dark woods around her. But now she has friends in the newly formed PsyLED team to keep her grounded - even if being part of the agency responsible for policing paranormals comes with dangers of its own.

Lord John and the Hellfire Club

This title also appears as a novella in the collection “Lord John and the Hand of Devils.” New York Times best-selling author Diana Gabaldon, beloved for her immensely popular Outlander series, crafted this fast-paced tale of intrigue when asked to contribute to an anthology honoring the late, great Ellis Peters. Outlander supporting player Lord John Grey investigates the death of a red-haired man only to become mixed up in the affairs of Sir Francis Dashwood and his notorious Hellfire Club. And as Lord John digs further, his life becomes threatened.

The Girl with All the Gifts

Melanie is a very special girl. Dr Caldwell calls her "our little genius". Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh. Melanie loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children's cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she'll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn't know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad.

If you’re a fan of fiction that is more than just black and white, this latest story collection from number-one New York Times best-selling author George R. R. Martin and award-winning editor Gardner Dozois is filled with subtle shades of gray. Twenty-one all-original stories, by an all-star list of contributors, will delight and astonish you in equal measure with their cunning twists and dazzling reversals. And George R. R. Martin himself offers a brand-new A Game of Thrones tale chronicling one of the biggest rogues in the entire history of Ice and Fire.

Shaman's Crossing, Book One of the Soldier Son Trilogy

Hugo and Nebula Award finalist Robin Hobb crafts intricate fantasy tales featuring larger-than-life characters and exotic landscapes. Nevare Burvelle was born to be a soldier in the Gernian army. But as Nevare's career takes off, his worldview alters considerably. Corruption and nepotism reign, and now Nevare questions his own ideals, wondering why he continues fighting for the empire.

Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances

In this new anthology, Neil Gaiman pierces the veil of reality to reveal the enigmatic, shadowy world that lies beneath. Trigger Warning includes previously published pieces of short fiction--stories, verse, and a very special Doctor Who story that was written for the fiftieth anniversary of the beloved series in 2013--as well as "Black Dog", a new tale that revisits the world of American Gods, exclusive to this collection.

What is it about the cat that captivates the creative imagination? No other creature has inspired so many authors to take pen to page. Mystery, horror, science fiction, and fantasy stories have all been written about cats.

Dreamsongs (Unabridged Selections)

Dubbed "the American Tolkien" by Time magazine, number-one New York Times best-selling author George R. R. Martin is a giant in the field of fantasy literature and one of the most exciting storytellers of our time. Now he delivers a rare treat for listeners: a compendium of his shorter works, collected into two stunning volumes, that offers fascinating insight into his journey from young writer to award-winning master.

The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume One

The best science fiction scrutinizes our culture and politics, examines the limits of the human condition, and zooms across galaxies at faster-than-light speeds, moving from the very near future to the far-flung worlds of tomorrow in the space of a single sentence. Neil Clarke has selected the short science fiction (and only science fiction) best representing the previous year's writing, showcasing the talent, variety, and awesome "sensawunda" that the genre has to offer.

A Grave Prediction

Professional psychics learn to deal with skeptics, but Abby has to prepare herself for one steep uphill battle when she's sent to San Diego to help train FBI officers to use their intuition. Her first challenge: a series of bank robberies in which the thieves made off with loads of cash but left no clues.

In this dark and gritty collection - featuring short stories from Jim Butcher, Seanan McGuire, Kevin J. Anderson, and Rob Thurman - nothing is as simple as black and white, light and dark, good and evil.... Unfortunately, that's exactly what makes it so easy to cross the line.

Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection

An all-new Stormlight Archive novella is the crown jewel of Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection, the first audiobook of short fiction by New York Times best-selling author Brandon Sanderson. The collection includes eight works in all. Originally published on Tor.com and other websites, or published by the author, these wonderful tales convey the expanse of the Shardworlds and tell exciting tales of adventure Sanderson fans have come to expect.

A fantasy anthology featuring the deadly, the worldly, and the sneaky. Blackguards consists mainly of stories in established series, and the authors range from wildly successful indie authors to New York Times best sellers. If you enjoy roguish tales of scoundrels and ne'er-do-wells, this one's for you.

Fragile Things

Marvelous creations, including a short story set in the world of The Matrix and others set in the worlds of gothic fiction and children's fiction, can be found in this extraordinary collection, which showcases Gaiman's storytelling brilliance as well as his entertaining (and dark) sense of humor.

Dragon Keeper

After many years, dragons have hatched again outside the ancient city of Cassarick. But something is wrong with the creatures; each is inferior or weak in some way, and many die. Tending these stunted dragons has left the people of the surrounding area weary. The Traders Council, the city's leadership, fears that if the Rain Wilders stop providing for the young dragons, the hungry and neglected creatures will rampage and destroy Cassarick.

Necro Files: Two Decades of Extreme Horror

Spanning over 20 years, 20 masters and modern authors of hardcore horror share their most bad-ass stories in this special edition from Comet Press. Many hard to find and out of print, some that were banned, Necro Files covers every imaginable mode of mayhem including serial killers, necrophilia, cannibals, werewolves, zombies, sex fetishes, psychopaths, snuff, occult, and more stories that dial into the dark side of human nature.

The Last Tribe

Fourteen-year-old Greg Dixon is living a nightmare. Attending boarding school outside of Boston, he is separated from his family when a pandemic strikes. His classmates and teachers are dead, rotting in a dormitory-turned-morgue steps from his room. The nights are getting colder, and his food has run out. The last message from his father is to get away from the city and to meet at his grandparents' town in remote New Hampshire.

Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fictions and Illusions

In Smoke and Mirrors, Gaiman's imagination and supreme artistry transform a mundane world into a place of terrible wonders - where an old woman can purchase the Holy Grail at a thrift store, where assassins advertise their services in the Yellow Pages under "Pest Control," and where a frightened young boy must barter for his life with a mean-spirited troll living beneath a bridge by the railroad tracks.

Unbound

Not bound as a book. Free. Like Unfettered before it, the contributing writers of Unbound were allowed to submit the tales they wished fans of genre to hear - without the constraints of a shackling theme. The result is magical. Twenty-three all-original stories are sure to captivate you - some will move you to tears while others will keep you listening long into the night. The power of Unbound lies in its variety of tales and the voices behind them. If you are a fan of discovering new writers or hearing the works of beloved authors, Unbound is for you.

Neverwhere

Richard Mayhew is an unassuming young businessman living in London, with a dull job and a pretty but shrewish fiancée. Then one night he stumbles upon a girl lying on the sidewalk, bleeding. He stops to help her, and his life is changed forever. Soon he finds himself living in a London most people would never have dreamed of: a city of monsters and saints, murderers and angels. It is a world that exists entirely in a subterranean labyrinth of sewer canals and abandoned subway stations.

Windhaven

The planet of Windhaven was not originally a home to humans, but it became one following the crash of a colony starship. It is a world of small islands, harsh weather, and monster-infested seas. Communication among the scattered settlements was virtually impossible until the discovery that, thanks to light gravity and a dense atmosphere, humans were able to fly with the aid of metal wings made of bits of the cannibalized spaceship.

Publisher's Summary

Award-winning, best-selling author Neil Gaiman demonstrates why he’s one of the hottest stars in literature today with “The Thing About Cassandra,” a subtle but chilling story of a man who meets an old girlfriend he had never expected to see. International blockbuster best-selling author Diana Gabaldon sends a World War II RAF pilot through a stone circle to the time of her Outlander series in “A Leaf on the Winds of All Hallows.” Torn from all he knows, Jerry MacKenzie determinedly survives hardship and danger, intent on his goal of returning home to his wife and baby — no matter the cost. New York Times best-selling author Jim Butcher presents “Love Hurts,” in which Harry Dresden takes on one of his deadliest adversaries and in the process is forced to confront the secret desires of his own heart.

Just the smallest sampling promises unearthly delights, but look also for stories by New York Times best-selling romance authors Jo Beverley and Mary Jo Putney, and by such legends of the fantasy genre as Peter S. Beagle and Tanith Lee, as well as many other popular and beloved writers, including Marjorie M. Liu, Jacqueline Carey, Carrie Vaughn, and Robin Hobb. This exquisite anthology, crafted by the peerless editing team of George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, is sure to leave you under its spell.

What did you like best about Songs of Love and Death? What did you like least?

This was definetely an eclectic mix of stories that I would not have normally bought on my own except that I was looking for one author in particular "Diana Gabaldon". The narration was good, except with it being mostly the same people sometimes you forget what story you're listening to and have to take a min and re-acclamate yourself. Overall it opened me up to genres and authors that I normally would not have tried.

I enjoyed some of the stories quite a bit. In fact, the desire to go back and look up the authors of those favorite stories again is my reason for posting this list. I put an X by the ones I liked enough to follow up on later.

The anthology really deserves 5 stars even though I didn't love every single story, because it was a fantastic way to discover new authors, and had a great variety.

The stories in the book "Songs of Love in Death" are the following:

x 1."Love Hurts" by Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files)Love Hurts is a short story in the The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. It was originally published in the Songs of Love and Death anthology, and later also included in Side Jobs. It takes place between Turn Coat and Changes

x 2."The Marrying Maid" by Jo BeverleyRob Loxsleigh has been searching for his "marrying maid" all his adult life and has only days left to find her before Oberon, Lord of Faery, can claim a terrible victory over his family and his line. At last she's there, before his eyes in St. James's Park, but Martha Darby wants nothing to do with a London rake in his satin and lace.

3."Rooftops" by Carrie VaughnA young playwright falls in love with a super hero

x 4."Hurt Me" by M.L.N. HanoverConnie, a former victim of abuse, moves into a haunted house and doesn't seem fazed by the angry ghost that resides there.

x 5."Demon Lover" by Cecelia Holland Fioretta is a disfigured girl who has lived an unappreciated life. One day she transformed into a great beauty and taken away to a wizards castle. But it has a terrible cost.

6."The Wayfarer's Advice" by Melinda M. Snodgrass (Imperials)

x 7."Blue Boots" by Robin HobbA servant girl moves to a new village and falls for a minstrel while wearing her blue boots, the last reminder of her life with her father, who recently passed. But she isn't sure she can trust him.

8."The Thing About Cassandra" by Neil Gaiman

9."After the Blood" by Marjorie M. Liu

10."You and You Alone" by Jacqueline Carey (Kushiel's Legacy)This one was a little too dramatic for me, but to each their own. It was basically a man looking back on his life and regretting and yet not regretting a royal love triangle.

x 11."His Wolf" by Lisa TuttleThis was my favorite story in the whole anthology. Its about a woman who is just beginning to get involved with a man who is at a crossroads in his life. He is very dedicated to his pet wolf. When he dies, the wolf finds her and becomes her companion from that day on. I don't want to say anymore and ruin it.

x 12."Courting Trouble" by Linnea SinclairDefinitely a science fiction story, this is about a woman having to rely on an old friend who once burned her to save her spaceship and its cargo.

13."The Demon Dancer" by Mary Jo Putney

14."Under/Above the Water" by Tanith Lee

15."Kashkia" by Peter S. Beagle

x 16."Man in the Mirror" by Yasmine GalenornA spirit is caught in a mirror, and yearns to be free. He finds a woman whom he thinks can free him, but her cat is keeping him at bay.

None of the stories are amazing. A couple were unlistenable to me. My wife listened to the same book and had similar reactions. If you are an audible junkie (like me), the book is long enough that even skipping some stories it is ok. A decent use of a credit.

I am a great fan of a lot of these authors . It was also a good opportunity to listen to other authors and to get involved in their stories. A good variety, so I would suggest others to try out this book.

Where does Songs of Love and Death rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

SLD is, as most short story collections are, uneven, but overall entertaining. Neil Gaiman's tale is delightful, as is Peter S Beagle's. A few of the others are simply formulaic romance set in not-this-world, but nothing objectionable.